Two hijackers' on board Libyan plane at Malta airport

Daria Neklesa

Two hijackers on a diverted Libyan plane which landed in Malta have hand grenades and are threatening to blow up the aircraft, Malta state TV said.

The Malta airport authority said all emergency teams have been dispatched to the site of what it called an "unlawful interference" on the airport tarmac.

Earlier, Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat, said in a tweet that there was a "potential hijack situation" involving an internal Libyan flight which was diverted to Malta and that emergency operations are under way at the Mediterranean airport.

Airport officials said the Afriqiyah Airways A320 flight has 118 passengers on board.